I am preparing to give a seminar on computer basics and it occurred to me that most people never think twice about what they plug their electronics into. It’s a wall outlet and it provides power; but, is it the right power? Just as I was working that out, I get a call and it is someone who has been caught by a browser internet scam.
So, first off, computers come with one of three kinds of plugs. I refer to the 3-prong, the 2-prong polarized, and the 2-prong unpolarized. The 3-prong is a grounded plug and the ground pin provides protection for the user of the device as well as guaranteeing the polarity of power provided is correct (assuming the outlet is correctly wired). The 2-prong polarized is used for equipment that requires correctly polarized power (hot vs common) while the unpolarized plug is usually reserved for devices that work just as well with or without correctly polarized power.
Over the years I have repaired quite a few power supplies that had been operated over time with reversed polarity power. In the early days that meant replacing the diodes and a few capacitors. In the later years, it was simply easier to replace the power supply and not worry about which components failed. That is the way with our society now, a failed component outside warranty doesn’t really concern us, we simply replace and get on with our lives.
Earlier I mentioned a scam. There are so many now and some are quite hard to detect; but, let me offer a few tips to help you recognize a scam. None of the computer manufacturers and none of the operating system providers watch your system to spot viruses, so, if your computer pops up any kind of message (other than one from the anti-virus package you have installed) that is an attempt to infect you and it (the code behind that message) is trying to get you to do things to allow the infection. And, none of the current products will suggest you call in to a “special” number to remove the bug. Microsoft will NOT call you and alert you to an infection. Lenovo will not call you and IBM business services will not call you alerting you to some issue with your computer. All of the manufacturers have automated their update services and switched to passive support of clients.
What do you do? If you suspect a scam or viral activity (or malware of any kind), try updating your anti-virus and then run a full scan. Then, if you are still suspicious, try running a second opinion malware scanner (Microsoft has one on their website as does Sophos and Malwarebytes). Lately, I have had the best luck with the Malwarebytes free version; but, all three are excellent. If the scam has disabled your ability to navigate or get to your anti-virus, turn your computer off and try restarting, this will disable 50% of the browser-born phishing attempts. In all cases, don’t operate on the internet without an up-to-date anti-virus or net-based protection of similar function.